DRINKING WATER
Custom Tank Designs That Actively Manage PFAS Mass Transfer Zone (MTZ) — And Why It Matters More Than Ever
As utilities prepare for the pending 4-ppt PFAS drinking water MCL, many are discovering that legacy lead/lag designs—workhorses for decades when treating contaminants in the ppm and ppb range—simply are not optimized for the parts per trillion-level (ppt) precision PFAS demands.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![UtilityWorkerJoshMayne]( "New AMR System Improves Efficiency, Conservation, Customer Service And Revenue For Coeur d'Alene")
New AMR System Improves Efficiency, Conservation, Customer Service And Revenue For Coeur d'AleneThe City of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, had been using a drive-by Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system to read all of its meters since 2010, but according to Rob Stark, utility supervisor for the City of Coeur d’Alene Water Department, it wasn’t realizing the full benefits with its existing system.
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A Double Bonus: Containing Aggressive Fluids, With Easy Buildout
When dealing with hazardous liquids where a single leak could trigger a dangerous situation, double containment piping solutions are not the sole option for protection, but they do offer significant advantages over alternatives.
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Article: Water Quality Management Using Cloud Computing - Solution For Corporate Control Of Environmental Impact Data One of industry’s most vexing impediments in responding to environmental problems has been difficulties in properly centralizing and managing captured water quality data. A different approach from the heretofore standard (and now outdated) “consultant-centric,” spreadsheet-based environmental information management system — with its typical project delays and increased costs — is now essential. By Locus Technologies
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![highwayproject]( "Security, Strength: AMERICAN Provides Products Of Choice For Major Highway Project In Augusta, Georgia")
Security, Strength: AMERICAN Provides Products Of Choice For Major Highway Project In Augusta, GeorgiaWork is roughly 50 percent complete on a $30-million-plus upgrade of what is considered the most dangerous stretch of road in Augusta, Georgia.
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Meters Monitor Flow And Provide Pump Protection
A Municipal Water Plant in the Southeast United States needed accurate flow measurement of potable water from individual pumps to the main distribution system. Read the full case study to learn how it was confirmed that the Siemens clamp-on meters provide reliable measurements from outside of the pipe, with reduced time and costs.
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![Issaquah-System]( "What Is PFAS?")
What Is PFAS?PFOA (perfluorooctanic acid) and PFOS (perflurooctane sulfonate) are organic synthetic chemicals that have been used in manufacturing a multitude of industrial and consumer-based products including coatings, carpeting, and fire-fighting foams. Over several decades, they have contaminated the environment, specifically our drinking water sources, causing significant health concerns that recently prompted the EPA to take action.
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![GettyImages-1254825733 data]( "Stop 3 Water Loss Thieves Cold With Analytics")
Stop 3 Water Loss Thieves Cold With AnalyticsLearn how water utilities can reduce apparent and real water losses by including analytics as an integral component of AMI strategy.
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![GettyImages-624745862_gold coast]( "Early Leak Detection Program: Improving Water Systems For Future Generations")
Early Leak Detection Program: Improving Water Systems For Future GenerationsRead about a trial for the City of Gold Coast designed to find a system that could sharpen leak detection capability with a small margin of error.
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![iStock-842727238.jpg]( "The Reasons Behind The Wide Array Of Liner And Electrode Choices In Magnetic Flow Meters")
The Reasons Behind The Wide Array Of Liner And Electrode Choices In Magnetic Flow MetersElectromagnetic flow meters offer significant benefits in water, wastewater, and industrial applications because they can be reliably used to measure liquid with many different characteristics. Since these devices contain no moving parts, making them virtually maintenance-free, they are becoming the workhorse for a growing number of utilities and industrial operations. Despite the advantages, however, electromagnetic flow meters are often avoided based on the misconception that there are limitations on what they can measure.
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Santa Monica, CA Case Study The City of Santa Monica shut down the Charnock well fields in 1996 after finding methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and later trichloroethylene (TCE) and 1,1-Dichloroethene (1,1-DCE) in the water.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Reduced Bore Electromagnetic Flowmeter10/29/2021
Being able to accurately measure both the quantity and rate of water passing through a water distribution system is crucial to gain an informed understanding of overall efficiency. As such, achieving a measurement that is exact as possible can have a significant impact on key areas. This includes supply planning, maintenance, resource deployment, leakage detection and the overall environment.
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Optimization Of Water Treatment Using Zeta Potential5/27/2020
Drinking water in the US and developed nations of the world is treated to remove contamination of foreign materials, both mineral and organic.
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Best Practices In Moist And Wet Gas Flow12/20/2021
The Wet Gas MASSter sensor is for use in applications that have a high level of moisture or condensation present in the gas flow stream that cannot otherwise be removed.
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Activated Carbon And Adsorption Of Trichloroethylene (TCE) And Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)12/30/2013
Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are two of the most common solvents that contaminate groundwater supplies in the United States. Both solvents see frequent use in the extraction of fat, in the textile industry, in the production of various pharmaceutical and chemical products. TCE is also used as a degreaser from fabricated metal parts, and PCE serves as a component of aerosol dry-cleaning solvents.
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Automatic Rinse Tank Controls10/29/2021
Proper rinsing is one of the most important steps in quality manufacturing or metal finishing. Plenty of low cost, good quality water for rinsing has been available in the past, so rinse water conservation has been largely ignored.
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Waterworks Joints 10110/30/2025
There are many different joints that can be found on waterworks pipeline components. This paper focuses on the three most common joints.
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Reducing And Reusing Water In Steel Manufacturing2/28/2022
The art of manufacturing steel for industries is well over 100 years old. Within this time, the steel business has fulfilled consumer needs, including construction, transportation, and manufacturing. The steel manufacturing process is quite intensive as it requires a lot of water to cool down the application. Steel plants constantly look for strategies that can help sustain the steel for a longer time by efficiently improving water and energy consumption.
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Dissolved Oxygen Measurement11/11/2013
One of the most important measurements in the determination of the health of a body of water is its dissolved oxygen content. The quantity of dissolved oxygen in water is normally expressed in parts per million (ppm) by weight and is due to the solubility of oxygen from the atmosphere around us.
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Alcoholic Beverage Fusel Alcohol Testing With Static Headspace9/2/2014
A static headspace method was developed using Teledyne Tekmar automated headspace vial samplers to meet the method requirements of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the US Department of the Treasury (TTB) method SSD: TM:2001 for testing fusel alcohols in alcoholic beverages.
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Dosing Of Sodium Hypochlorite Solution For Drinking Water Disinfection9/22/2022
A water purveyor was in urgent need of a chemically resistant flow instrumentation with a long life of service that allowed reliable and long-term stable dosing of the sodium hypochlorite solution.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The Aztec 600 Low Range Manganese Analyzer AW634 offers reliable and accurate on-line analysis of manganese up to 0.10 ppm Mn.
The DR3900 is a benchtop visible spectrum (320 - 1100 nm), split beam spectrophotometer with over 220 pre-programmed methods optimized for laboratory water analysis. With your daily routine of water analysis in mind, the DR3900 spectrophotometer is optimized for safe processes and accurate results.
The TrojanUVSwift®SC is designed to treat flow rates of 20 gallons per minute (GPM) to 16 million gallons per day (MGD) or 4.5 to 2,525 m3/hr. These compact UV systems offer communities an economical solution for drinking water disinfection.
Swan has long been a trusted source for photometric analyzers like chlorine, phosphate and silica. Now with the Seres OL line you'll find added measurement options with applications across a spectrum of industries. Click below for more details on specific models.
Endress+Hauser offers continuous level measurement and point level detection in liquids and bulk solids
The DPS5000 SDI-12 from Druck, part of the UNIK5000 family, offers integrated digital electronics to enhance the performance level of the UNIK 5000 Pressure Sensing Platform to levels unmatched by traditional analogue sensors. It uses SDI-12 protocol, over which fully compensated readings of pressure and temperature are sent, as well as control of many functions of the device.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![businesswoman asking question in education event-GettyImages-2198836359]( "AMI Under The Microscope: Beaverton Water Division Answers Questions About Its AMI Transition")
Beaverton Water Division’s transition to Kamstrup AMI and acoustic leak detection is modernizing meter reading, reducing infrastructure costs, improving leak identification, and streamlining operations as deployment progresses.
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![Texas Flag-GettyImages-942623440]( "Meeting Demand, Ensuring Compliance: A Success Story In Executing Fast-Paced Water System Improvements In Missouri City, Texas")
Learn how the Mustang Bayou Service Area (MBSA) Water System Improvements project delivered a fast-tracked, multi-phase response to rapid development and critical capacity challenges in one of the Missouri City’s fastest-growing regions.
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![Legionella pneumophila-GettyImages-1451790531]( "Legionella And The Need For Next-Generation Detection: Steps Water Utilities Can Take To Alleviate The Risk")
As water systems grow more complex and climate patterns shift, Legionella is emerging as one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in the built environment. The threat to public health from Legionnaires' disease will likely further escalate unless decisive action is taken. -
![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option. -
![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens. -
![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Water infrastructure projects often face extreme installation conditions, from deep-trench burials to exposed bridge crossings. Ensuring long-term reliability requires a material capable of withstanding environmental stressors that can compromise other piping options. Ductile iron pipe offers superior durability, maintaining its structural integrity regardless of temperature fluctuations or UV exposure. Watch the full video to explore these benefits in action.
As utilities worldwide face mounting pressure from drought, water scarcity, and tightening regulations, this webinar explores how validated, chemical-free UV solutions are reshaping disinfection across surface water, wastewater, desalination, and potable reuse.
Water utilities need reliable data to meet regulatory demands, manage operations, and deliver excellent customer service. Master Meter’s Allegro AMI and Allegro Mobile technologies offer smart, scalable solutions to support these needs. Allegro AMI provides hourly data on consumption, tampering, and leaks, automatically sent to the utility office.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.